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cje ›› 2012, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (02): 468-476.

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Strategic thinking on modeling and simulation of complex ecosystems. 

ZHU Jian-gang**   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
  • Online:2012-02-08 Published:2012-02-08

Abstract: An ecosystem could be regarded as a complex system with hierarchical architecture. Due to the lack of standardization and integration, the current modeling and simulation of complex ecosystems could not fit in with the further development of modern ecology. A primary reason for this is that very few reviews on modeling and simulation of complex ecosystems have been presented. In this regard, this paper proposes a general framework for modeling and simulation of complex ecosystems. Based on the framework, systems and system models are taken as two kinds of main agents, and the strategies for modeling and simulation of complex ecosystems are discussed in terms of two approaches-top-down system analysis and bottom-up model realization (i.e. system integration). It is intended to provide a useful guidance for further case studies on modeling and simulation of complex ecosystems.

Key words: Stipa sp., endophytic fungi, diversity index, similarity coefficient, redundancy analysis (RDA).